Why Can't You Understand?
by purplefern
Summary: The Yule log scene from the Enchanted Christmas (partially) the way I think it should've gone. Belle and Beast both have things they want each other to understand, but neither of them can quite find the right words.


_Just rewriting a scene from The Enchanted Christmas the way I think it should have gone. During, and slightly after, the Yule log scene, when Belle is down in the castle boiler room and Beast gets all yelly. _

* * *

Beast fidgeted with the clasp to his cape, looking down at the ground. "You cannot possibly understand. You have no idea what it's like to lose everything, to be trapped in your own castle," his voice raised with each statement, Couldn't she understand how he felt? Hadn't anyone told her _why _he hated Christmas so much? "To be a...a...!" he tried to finish his thought, to maybe communicate to Belle a fraction of what he had felt like for the past ten years, but he just couldn't find the words.

"To be a prisoner?" she asked, with a touch of anger in her voice. Maybe she could make him see how she felt to be stuck here, without her freedom. Now, without even wishes or a hope of a Christmas.

He lowered his eyes back to the ground, and said in a softer voice that if Belle didn't know any better, she would've thought he sounded...sad. "No. To be a beast." Belle took a half step back, surprised. And...confused. Why would Beast mind being...well, a beast?

"A beast? But, I thought..."

A low growl from Beast cut off her growing question. "Like I said, you wouldn't; can't, understand." With that, he turned swiftly around, cape billowing behind him, and ran out of the boiler room, probably back to his own room in the West Wing to sulk, leaving behind a puzzled Belle holding a Yule Log.

* * *

He ran out of the boiler room, crossing through halls and corridors to get to his sanctuary on the otherside of the castle. A place where he would be alone with his thoughts. He passed by the room that contained Forte, ignoring his insistences to come in and listen to him play. Right now he needed to think.

He got to the doors of his own room, hardly glancing at the door handles that now mirrored his own face, and immediately settled into a pace in front of the table that held the rose. As he had developed a habit of doing, he talked to himself, or rather the rose, as he paced. "I just want her to understand. How can I tell her why I feel how I do about Christmas? How it was the end of..." he paced quicker, claws on his rear paws clacking against the hard stone of the balcony, trying to find a way to phrase that fateful night. "The end of...well... everything! That wishing is a vain hope for fools who have nothing to lose. How many times _I _was that fool who believed in wishes; let down every time? " He sighed deeply, and leaned against the table, resiting the urge to see how Belle was with the magic mirror. "I just wish that I could make her understand."

* * *

Belle stood in the center of the boiler room, stock still and still holding the Yule log in her hands. What had just happened? When Beast was talking he seemed so... upset. Not in the usual angry way, but like he was hurt about something. But how? How could anything hurt someone as impassive and..and.. well, mean, as Beast. She looked down at the log in her hands, the source of this argument, and shook her head. "Can't he see how much this place needs some Christmas cheer? How much _he _could use it?"

"Eh? Are you talking to me?" asked the ax from the large pile of logs, looking up from his busy work.

"No, no. I was just...thinking out loud" she replied distractedly.

"Oh, alright, I get it. Don't vant to have a conversation with a simple wood chopper."

Belle gave him an amused but slightly annoyed smile. "That's alright, really" he continued, "I don't like talking anyway. That's why I love chopping wood vith my face, keeps me from having to talk vith anyone." Belle rolled her eyes at the impossible Ax, she could tell by now that he was one of those types that just enjoyed complaining.

"Well, I think I'll go back to my room. Merci for the Yule log."

"Not a problem" he said, and went back to chopping a never ending line of logs. She gave him a wave of farewell over her shoulder, and walked back to her room with the Yule log tucked in her arms. She needed someplace to think. She opened up the door to her room, and walked in, dropping the log onto her bed. Finally, someplace quiet to think.

"Dearie, you're back! Oh, I'm so glad you're here, I've been _dying _for someone to talk to." Belle suppressed a groan at the overly cheery wardrobe. So much for her room being quiet...

"Not now, please" she said as gently as possible.

The wardrobe looked at her with a worried look on her wooden face. "Is something the matter?"

"No. Yes? Ugh, I need to take a walk." she slid off her bed, and left down the castle hallways, the heels of her shoes' clicking echoing loudly down the empty halls. Why does Beast have to hate Christmas so much? If only he could see the excitement and happiness on little Chip's face when he thought about having a Christmas. It would be enough to even melt the heart of a beast. Everyone was so gloomy around here all the time, it would cheer everyone up, not least of all Beast himself. She let out a huff of air in exasperation. "Why can't I make him understand how much this means to everyone? How much it would mean to _me_?" She paused as she realized she was at the stairs that led up to the West Wing, resisting the desire to climb up them and try to make Beast see reason. She let out a sigh as she turned back to her room. "I just wish I could make him understand."

* * *

_How did this happen? This story was supposed to be, like, three lines from the movie rewritten and it turned into this. Oh, well. _

_Anyway, I hope that Belle wasn't too OOC. She might've been a little mean, but I just feel like that's how things were between them in the beginning of this movie. Now, according to the movie, this whole Christmas fiasco takes place after the wolves, but to me that doesn't make much sense because Beast isn't injured and "Something There" certainly hasn't happen yet. If it were possible, I would've put this movie after "Be Our Guest" but before the West Wing, as far as Belle and Beast's feelings for each other go. Well, anyway, it's not Christmas (yet! Only a month left to go!) but I hoped you enjoyed this little story anyway. R&R! _


End file.
